


He's Still There

by Spagooters



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 11:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14472027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spagooters/pseuds/Spagooters
Summary: “Kravitz,Thank you very much for getting back to me on such short notice. I hope that your trip was quick, and that your moving was painless, as I would like to start work on our project as soon as you settle in to your new apartment. I expect to hear from you soon.-Raven”Kravitz is an amateur taxidermy artist looking for new employment and happens upon a mysterious but well paying client that insists he move to be closer to the job. He doesn't expect to meet someone entirely different, but since when has fate been fair?(Inspired by the song Dancing on the Ceiling by Chet Baker)A fanfic in which Taako is a dancer living right above Kravitz, and their meeting by chance leads to so much more.





	He's Still There

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, my name's Arianna and this is my first fanfiction!
> 
> I was inspired by Chet Baker's song Dancing on the Ceiling, and honestly, I thought more than anything that it fit this pairing! I hope you agree, and give the song a listen.:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVUCRF7K7HM
> 
> I'm sorry if it seems a little wonky or awkward right now, I haven't written in a very long time and am having trouble getting into the swing of things. Please feel free to give constructive criticism, and I hope you enjoy!

“Kravitz,

Thank you very much for getting back to me on such short notice. I hope that your trip was quick, and that your moving was painless, as I would like to start work on our project as soon as you settle in to your new apartment. I expect to hear from you soon.  
-Raven”

Kravitz looked down upon the worn parchment in his hand in disbelief, his thumb running over the (beautiful) handwritten letters there. It was only a day ago that he moved into his new apartment, per request of his newest and most secretive client, and already he was receiving a letter in the mail from her. Not only that, but who even sends letters these days? The writing on the page seemed to curl like a coy smile, and Kravitz could feel the anticipation that was laced within it. She had been waiting for a while and Kravitz had been keeping her like that for a reason. Something had tipped him off the first time that she had ever sent a letter his way… Something in the way that she seemed to almost guarantee that Kravitz would work with her. Smoothing his hair back with a sigh, he slouched against his freshly moved fridge and rested there for a moment, almost as if getting this letter knocked the wind out of him. Through the window, warm spring light spilled out on the floor and danced over his skin, and Kravitz rested for the first time in days. 

\------

The first time Kravitz had seen a dead animal up close was when he was 9.

It wasn’t what you’d imagine; Bloodied, broken, festering. It was, well, almost alive. A rabbit, one that had frequently visited his family’s backyard to graze on the clovers there without the risk of being attacked by any of the neighbors’ cats. And one day, it was just... there. 

Kravitz had just been sent out to play while his mother mopped all around the house during her spring cleaning, and he did what he always did when he went out: He rolled up the legs of his muck-around overalls and went out barefoot to find some place to play with his toys. 

He had just taken a couple steps into the fresh green grass when he spotted it. A soft brown mound in the middle of the yard. 

His first instinct was to call to his mom excitedly, because he recognized that lump! It was Paw-Paw, their little “pet” rabbit that had been coming to see them since he was 7. But as he began to bound closer, he noticed something that was a little odd. He stopped, not even 10 feet away from the rabbit. Any other time Kravitz got this close, Paw-Paw would have run away, or at the very least stood at attention. This time, however, he just laid there, almost as if he were taking a nap.

Kravitz immediately stopped calling for his mom, his happy expression turning not into something like disgust or fear, but of confusion. Curiosity. He took a few tentative steps closer, and kneeled quietly within arm’s reach of the little animal. His eyes were closed just as Kravitz had thought they would be, and he was laying on his side with his legs limp and relaxed out in front of him. He had never seen anything like it, he was so used to seeing this rabbit alert and tense and hopping about like a spring on the run. But here he was, amongst the clovers and cushioned by the fresh spring grass. Having had only ever seen dead animals on the back streets of his town, flattened and bloodied and only glimpsed for an instant, Kravitz had to actually think about what he was seeing. He truly had to convince himself that Paw-Paw wasn’t going to hear him close and spring awake, wondering why he was being disturbed from his nap. He was so alive.

When Kravitz’s mother came out to heed his call, she too had a big smile on her face. But once she saw Kravitz kneeling with his back to her, she started to worry too. Coming up behind him and ruffling a hand lovingly in his hair, she looked down at her son,

“Hey sweetheart, what’s wrong? Did you find something?” She asked, keeping a small smile on her face. 

Only when she looked down to where Kravitz was looking did she finally understand.

Kravitz’s mother didn’t scream or cry out or even make a face when she saw Paw-Paw. She simply drew in a little breath, and then sighed, her hand dropping from Kravitz’s head to his shoulder as she squatted by him. Kravitz looked over at her with some effort, and they both shared a quiet moment. She didn’t stop him when he eventually looked back, reached out, and gently took hold of the rabbit’s soft ear to run his thumb over the fur there. 

“Mom, why do you think he died?” Kravitz asked softly after a moment, moving on from the ear to gently stroke the bunny’s head and back. 

“I think,” She said, moving to sit next to Kravitz now and watch him as he pet the rabbit, “ That he died of old age. I think he came here to fill his belly, hop around, live his life, then just thought, “ I’ve been doing this for so long, I think I need a break!” and then he simply laid down and fell asleep peacefully, surrounded by the clovers and grass and love he had here all these years.”

Kravitz giggled. His mom always found ways to cheer him up when she thought he needed it, and this was no exception. This time, it was more than just a story to him though. He thought that that was definitely how the little bunny went, and figured that he’d be tired too if he were as energetic as him. Heck, Kravitz was tired after he was outside playing for an hour. He couldn’t possibly imagine running around his entire life like that. But now that Paw-Paw could rest, what would happen to him?

Almost as if she heard his thoughts, Kravitz’s mother got up from where she sat, brushing her legs off and telling her son to stay put. After making a quick trip in to the house, she came back with a small cardboard box lined with a towel and a landline telephone pinned to her shoulder by her cheek. She was talking with someone on the other line that Kravitz swore he recognized.

“...rle, thank you so much for asking your father to do this for us, I know he’s retired, but it would mean so much to our family to have this. I’ll bring him over right away.”

 

Soon after, Kravitz’s mom had taken their rabbit away, and it was a long while before he heard much of him again. His mom had said that what they were doing with him was a surprise, and Kravitz was excited at first, but as everyone does, eventually he started to forget about Paw-Paw a little bit. Of course he missed seeing him, but months full of happiness and new adventures and things to think about can sometimes be distracting. It wasn’t until his mom came home from work one day with a big box that he began to wonder.

“Kravitz, sweetie! I just got back from visiting your auntie, and guess what I got called to pick up?” She said, grinning big at her son as he stopped what he was doing to meet her at the door. 

Moving quickly, she brought the box to the little two-person dining table in their kitchen and pulled out one of the chairs for Kravitz. They both wasted no time sitting and peeling the tape from the package. Their excitement was clear on their faces, and once they finally got the box open, they couldn’t believe what they saw.

Nestled amidst packing peanuts was the fuzzy form of Paw-Paw the rabbit.

Pulling him out of the packaging, Kravitz’s mother revealed that he was secured to a small wooden base that made him easy to set down on their table. As soon as he was set out, the two could see that he was sitting alert again with his eyes open and staring, bright and expressive. His pose was full of springtime again, even if outside the weather was beginning to get colder, it was like he could come to life at any moment. The base he sat upon had small tufts of artificial grass that seemed to cushion him where he was. 

This was the first time Kravitz had ever seen taxidermy, and he had been in love with it ever since.

 

\------

You’d think that lugging heavy things for the taxidermy shop back in his old town would make moving easier for Kravitz, but you’d be wrong. Box after box, furniture, appliances… By the end of the third day and the last of the small boxes, Kravitz was feeling about as fit as a bowl of cooked spaghetti. Which is to say, he was not feeling very fit at all. Kravitz at this very moment was leaning rather precariously against the final leaning tower of boxes with his head in his hands, wishing he could be in his bed with a good book instead of relocating his entire life for one client. Granted, this was one very good paying client, but still. Kravitz was beat. 

Luckily, the spring sunshine that flitted through the oak trees in front of his building was warm and pleasant. Kravitz took a deep breath, and with a sigh, let his hands fall from his face so he could get back to work. 

In front of him, maybe a couple feet away, stood the most beautiful man he’d ever seen.

Yelping in surprise, Kravitz was momentarily taken aback and his hand threw itself over his heart involuntarily. The man before him was smirking in such a way that totally said that he expected this reaction, which may have been irritating coming from any other person, but God…

“Need any help there handsome?” He cooed.

“U-Uh…” 

Kravitz straightened up and brushed down his shirt, clearing his throat.

“I’m… are you being serious?” 

The man grinned big, flashing two cute buck teeth and bowing dramatically before him. His radiant mane of curly golden hair fell over his dark sun-pocked shoulder. He looked up at Kravitz mid bow and introduced himself.

“Taako, y’know, from TV. I usually don’t help anyone move anything into anything else, but I couldn’t help but offer when I saw that A. This is literally my building too, and B. I just can’t see myself leaving a damsel in distress.” 

Kravitz just stared for a split second, disbelief plastered on to his face. Then he began chuckling, his hand that was over his heart coming up to run itself over his hair. His head shook slowly, maybe because he was telling himself he shouldn’t let this happen or maybe because he had to make himself believe that this wasn’t real to get enough confidence to say what he was going to say next.

“...Kravitz. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d like more than anything for you to help me with these last few boxes.”

“Great! Where can I start?” Taako straightened up quickly, clapping his hands together.

Kravitz gestured to the top couple of boxes that he was leaning on in this last pile, and once Taako had taken them, he took two more himself. The two of them walked side by side into the building and headed through the lobby toward the elevator. 

Kravitz had a feeling that this was going to be a long day.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey again! Just letting you know that I will update if I have motivation and if this gets attention, but I probably won't have a set schedule until I get farther into the story. Thanks for being patient with me, see you soon! :)


End file.
